Cold Italian Pasta Salad for 10 Servings

Instructions:

1. Boil the pasta in heavily salted water until just al dente. Note: Overcooked pasta will turn into mush after absorbing the dressing.
2. Drain the pasta and immediately rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely chilled. Transfer to your large mixing bowl.
3. Dice the salami into small, uniform cubes and slice the pepperoni into half moons. Add these cured meats to the bowl.
4. Toss in the mozzarella pearls, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and olives.
5. Whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice until the mixture looks creamy and unified.
6. Pour exactly half of the dressing over the mixture and toss gently with a spatula to coat every spiral.
7. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. Note: This is the infusion stage where the pasta drinks in the flavors.
8. Just before serving, pour the remaining half of the dressing over the salad and toss again until the noodles look glossy and zesty.
9. Garnish with the chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.